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But what if I didn't want to?
What would I see if I channeled all of them? And how would I face that man? That man who'd done nothing but hurt the best people in his life? How would I do that?
"He doesn't get it." Leia sighed. "He doesn't understand what teenage life is like for me."
"Honey, I'll be honest here. No man does. They're blind as bats when it comes to women, but he's one of the good bats, I promise you. Now, let's get back to that nasty little specimen you been tellin' me about. What's his name?"
"Creed."
"Funny name. Well, you go tell Creed that if he keeps messing' with you, you're gonna tell on him to the school. And when he says that you've got nothing on him, say that you know he's a nasty little creeper who's scared of getting beaten up by girls. You hear me?
“Don't hit him again—because you know it ain't worth the trouble. But he needs to know you won't mind doing it twice, and that'll be enough to keep him outta your radar.
“It means he'll also tell his chums, and they can try to single you out, but listen, you got what it takes to get through this, okay?
“You're brave and strong and clever, and you know you can make much better friends than hanging out with kids who do no better than hurt young girls because it makes them feel good. D'you want people like that in your life?"
"No," Leia replied quietly.
"Then you don't go wasting a single ounce of your precious time on them. You live like the queen you are, and if they try to mess with you once more, I'll go down to that school of yours and show them the tricks I've learned with my math book.
“Hell, I still can't do Algebra to save my life, but I sure know how to wield a book like a sword. You're not alone in this, you hear me?"
I couldn't hear what Leia was saying any longer, so I inched closer to the door. I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
Leia was out of her chair and clinging to Juniper. I'd never seen her hug no one, not even her own mama.
"Can I ask you something else?" Juniper touched her hand lightly.
"Yeah?"
"What do you like to eat? Just for research purposes."
She whispered something, and Juniper kissed the top of her head before she left the room.
Juniper waited until she heard the latch on her door click before turning and looking straight at me.
"I think she's gonna enjoy the dinner you make, Mr. Smith. But try to lay easy on the cheese. She's at a place where girls everywhere around her are telling her she needs to diet to be valid."
"What?" I almost shouted thunderously. "Who the hell is doing this? Is it that boy? I swear I'm going to—"
"Yes, right now, you look like you're going to go to that school and pummel him, but you'll be doing the biggest disservice to your daughter if you do that. Plus, it's not just him. It is the whole world at this age. Everywhere she goes, she's probably getting bombarded by ads telling her she has to be a certain way to be pretty."
"But she doesn't," I spluttered, moving my hands around for emphasis. "She's FINE!"
"You know that, and you're ... I'm guessing seasoned?" she replied tartly.
Wow, this girl really did have a mouth. And it could run—and I kinda wanted her harder for that, but now was not the time.
Someone was harming my baby, and hell yes, I wanted to strap on all the weapons I had and send them to Inferno before letting them get to her.
"Oh, he's very seasoned," Asher interjected sagely. "He's the oldest of all of us, y'know? He's got a lot moreexperience."
Juniper rolled her eyes.
"Not my point. Point is, Reed, when you were a freckled teenager with more attention on your balls than anywhere else, how did you look at girls? Would you have fallen for someone unconventional? Someone who reads classics and looks like she belongs on a track? Or would you prefer the blonde, petite, long-lashed beauty who could flit around in skirts and heels and talk like a sugar cube?"
I had no answer to that. Honestly, up until eighteen, I'd been a bit of a dick. That meant everything she was saying was, well, right.
